Daily Republican., 1887-12-16

the bold flock of condOrs that was but
cheering one OF their best animals be-
fore their very eyes, although / after
wards learned that the birds had been
unusually considerate on that visit, as
they usually cut off three or four cattle
from herd.
EAGER BIRDs or PREY.
Following the belea guered steer, and
circling around it as it dashed here
and there in its vain attempts to es-
cape from the torture to which its
cruel pursuers were subjecting it, the
herdsmen cast their larlats again and
again, and, after several attempts each
lassoed q condor. Once the poor steer,
as if looking to us for assistance in his
extremity, rushed in among the horse
men and crowds Of spectators. Re-
gardless OF our presence, the desperate
condors clung to his bleeding sides or
dashed along in his wake. The doom
ed animal was black with dust aud
streaming with blood from hundred
wounds.
The excited crowd scattered before
the advance of the steer, and the las
soers, having strangled to death the
condors they had captured, advanced
again 10 cast their lariats. The steer
| circled around in stumbling and un-
steady way. He carried his head
high, and once staggered and fell.
With great effort he regained his
feet, and once more moved toward the
crowd OF spectators. Bloody foam
dropped in great masses from his
mouth. His loud cries Of agony had
changed TO husky means, His tongue,
red and swollen, hung at full length
from his mouth. AS he passed me q
huge condor dashed forward, seized
the steers tongue in his beak and
wrenched it out by the roots. The
steer threw his up head with rend.
ing cry, and then saw two hideous,
sightless cavities, dripping blood,
where his eyes had been plucked from
their sockets.
The spot where the steer had been
. separated by the condCrs from the
herd was no. more than an eighth OF 0
mile from the seashore, and the ami
nal had been dashing madly about OF
= the plain, circling and zig tagging here
and there without drawing any nearer
to the water. Suddenly, tonguelesE
and sightless, and tOttering and rap
, idly weakening under his myriat
3 wounds, he wheeled, turned his heat
, toward the ocean and, gathering him
. self as if for last desperate effort
dashed madly away in that direction
Plunging and reeling onward, ant
4 still pursued by every ravenous vul
t ture the dying steer rushed siraigh. 10
5 the surf. He reached the margin o
n the sea and fell dead, with his head il
G the waves. Instantly score OF beakt
{ were tearing the dead animals flesl
;, from his bones. | spurred my hors
forward and galloped to the spot wher
the vultures were stripping the carcass
| When | ached the beach the bi d
r rose laZily, one after another, from til
Q feast, and floated upward in obliqu
II circles until they were mere speck
! against the snowy SUBMITS of tn
! Andes. A skeleton, half submerge
a by the tide, marked where the torture
:. steer had fallen. When l returne'
II across the plain vindictive villager
d were kicking the three lassocd condor
/ about and Stamping them into tn
n ground, Kissing curses between thei
" teeth at every kick. In the distanc
n the lately disturbed herd was grain
e quietly, as If no condor had eve
1f threatened the peace of its domain.